Those in high-poverty areas have restricted access to obesity-related self-care options.

Living in a high-poverty region is associated with lower access to obesity-related self-care resources, according to a study presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology.1

The single-center study included 195 endometrial cancer survivors who lived in an urban community on the South Side of Chicago. Medical records were used to collect demographic and comorbidity data, and socioeconomic status (SES) score was developed using Census block group-level data. Self-care resources were defined as those that focused on exercise, healthy weight, and diet, and were obtained from a community resource database.

In the study, 81% of the patients were African American and 34% lived in a low SES score region. Stage I to II endometrial cancer had been present in 68% of patients, and 48% had low-grade disease. Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) 30 kg/m2 or higher, was present in 62%, and high BMI was associated with low SES (P =.05).

Access to at least 1 of 3 self-care resources recommended by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology was available to 67% of the survivors, but lower access was associated with living in a lower SES region. Walkable access to 2 or more resources was significantly lower among patients who lived within a lower SES score region (adjusted odds ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59-0.97).

The findings from this study indicate that access to obesity-related self-care resources is lower among survivors who live in low SES regions. The authors stated that walkable access to these resources is important for women in high-poverty areas to fulfill obesity-related self-care guidelines.